This parliamentary committee's actions should chill every Canadian citizen to the bone. Democracy went on a walkabout today, and the railroading of a Canadian citizen was so despicable, I was in shock after watching it happen right before my eyes.
This is a good indication of what a coalition government would look like. Only those who agree with the lefties will be listened to, all others will be shut down and threatened with contempt. Watch for the smirks on the faces of Martin and the Chairman (what an incompetent but she is a Liberal).
If watching this video does not make you afraid of the power that MP's have to stifle free speech of citizens....you are the problem. Maybe Jaffer deserves some flack, but his business partner Glemaud should not have been attacked and threatened with contempt.
NDP MP Pat Martin, didn't want this to become a circus, and then proceeded to turn it into one. I hope Winnipeg wakes up next election. His performance was vomit worth. He played to the camera and didn't really care that they were beating up on a Canadian citizen. China come so mind.
I also want to call out the Conservatives on this committee, they were just as bad as the opposition, if not worse. I lost a lot of respect for Lukiwski, who himself has been a target of the opposition and should have had some idea of what Rahim and Helena are going through. I guess power does corrupt. I was most disgusted by the Conservatives today. You might win a few lefty votes with your attempt to distance yourselves from Rahim, but you lost way more because you did not stand by your principles. You failed.
No majority is worth winning if you win it by compromising your own core principles.
Glemaud worked in government for the Liberals, but it's funny that he decided to run as a Conservative in the last election, he became a lefty tar get. They have no revenues, how can they be lobbying government with no clients? That will not stop the coalition from finding him guilty of being a Conservative.
12 comments:
I think it would be a little naive to assume that the Conservatives should have rallied around Jaffer today. The opposition MPs in committee made a mockery of the process, but there is a chance that Jaffer did something wrong, and we shouldn't be rushing to his defense until after the investigation.
The Conservatives really baffled me frankly and as you suggested, Lukiwski should have been far more reasonable based on what he was obviously watching unfold. The guy has been humiliated by these same street urchins.
And I guess I am rather confused about why someones past career connections on their personal website is an issue. Are MP's not permitted to have a resume that includes their career experiences?
I'm not sure this lapse of judgement (if it is indeed so) is cause for the despicable treatment these guys received.
It was nothing short of an inquisition, no parameter, no control, plenty of slander and a bucket load of intimidation.
Make that bucket load full of crap too.
Yes we should be very, very afraid.
All in all, I don't think the committee was a "railroading" of the two witnesses. With the exception of the usual crap from that sanctimonious slanderer Pat Martin and the chairman Yasmin Ratansi, who limited the two witnesses' ability to respond to some of the accusations, I thought the questions were focused on the issue of lobbying.
I confess I didn't listen too closely to the Bloc MPs, as I dislike listening to translators with the speaker's voice heard in the background
• Did they or didn't they lobby?
• What constitutes lobbying?
The two Conservatives' criticism of Jaffer hinged on the website, where Jaffer states:
"Mr. Jaffer provides the company with business expertise in industry financing in order to help them secure support from the Canadian government and to obtain contracts abroad ... He also plays a crucial role in business development and marketing through his countless relationships developed from his former career as a parliamentarian. In addition, Rahim is a key player in co-ordinating future policy between various branches of both the Canadian and U.S. governments."
The two Conservatives seemed to think that statement constitutes lobbying.
But the Lobbying Commissioner will be the one to determine whether that statement, together with the summaries or proposals presented to Brian Jean's office, constitutes lobbying.
I agree with Bec that one's CV should be able to include one's past experience & connections, but because the issue is lobbying, then that becomes a tricky situation.
Maybe it's a question of interpretation of this section of the Lobbying Act:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/L-12.4/page-3.html?noCookie
"Requirement to file return
5. (1) An individual shall file with the Commissioner, in the prescribed form and manner, a return setting out the information referred to in subsection (2), if the individual, for payment, on behalf of any person or organization (in this section referred to as the “client”), undertakes to
(a) communicate with a public office holder in respect of ...
(vi) the awarding of any contract by or on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada; or
(b) arrange a meeting between a public office holder and any other person. ..."
Personally, I don't believe Jaffer was involved in wrongdoing. He simply may be interpreting the Lobbying Act too loosely.
That must have been quite the show! I couldn't stomach anymore after the Pat Martin melted down.
No money crossed any palms, and no bragging on the 'company' website of influence,
therefore Martin's 'influence peddling' will not fly, can't even get that kite off the ground.
Jaffer bragged/suggested on his personal website that he had an 'in' with the government,
which is why the Cons came out guns a blazing.
That was ugly.
It was irresponsible of the committee to call in Jaffer before they had Mr Jean testify about the proposals submitted to the govt.
That line up allowed for the attacks and inuendo to continue.
Very sad political circus indeed.
Yesterday finally put me over the top. I turned the TV off and have no intention of watching CBC or CTV again.
What Martin did to Jaffer and Glemaud made me embarrassed to be Canadian.
I searched the CTV site looking for the email address of Power Play so I could voice my dissatisfaction and couldn't find it. Can someone direct me to it and I suggest everyone register their displeasure. Cheers.
Been reading a few posts on the Jaffer inquisition,
Hunter, can you confirm for me (because I can't stomach the research involved) that
'Jaffer was asked if he sleeps in the same bed as his wife'?
If an accountant or lawyer or doctor or a Priest/minister etc appeared before a committee, would they have to give out privileged information on their clients/patients/parishioners. That is scary.
What if those business people do not want their names or business made public.
I hope Pat Martin's voters are watching him make an ass of himself, and finally wake up and vote against him.
I would like the interpreter of ASL to tell us what that lib woman is saying with her hands as she flails them about. I got at least one very insulting comment from her. Perhaps they should be told to keep there hands down as they know not what they say.
I should also mention that facial expressions and gestures are also very important to those that use ASL.
One of the inquisitors did make reference to the fact Jaffer shared a bed with his wife and suggested pillow talk.
Excellent post and vid, Hunter. You have captured the NDP weasel and the "I have already made up my mind" chairwoman's stances perfectly.
Yes, Jaffer's partner should have been given all the time in the world to explain and it was the chairwoman's duty (if she was a fair person to see justice done, and to all appearances now it is apparent she is NOT) to see to it that he got to say his piece.
Maybe there was something that both Jaffer and his partner should have avoided writing on their website, and they might have admitted that they should not have done that, but we will not get to hear their side of the story ... if this is the way the NDP, Liberal and this chairwoman wants it to be played.
Sad day for Canada and Canadian conservatives to see the harrassment of their own at the hands of these weasels without any backing from CON MPs. Were they fast asleep?
Martin pulled the exact same holier than thou schtick with Brian Mulroony if you remember.I believe martin pictures himself as one of the grand prosecutors of the dark ages of the inquistion.
Who is the dude who keeps giving the chairwoman her talking points--how unprofessional!
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